Back in 2001, Intelligent System's Paper Mario brought joy to many RPG starved (and game deprived) Nintendo 64 owners. Paper Mario brought new elements to the RPG genre with timing gameplay factors, unique pop-up book style visuals, and a lighthearted adventure with a touch of Mario. Years later, GameCube owners are treated to a sequel that will not doubt please old and new fans.
Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door is very welcoming. Those who have played the first will easily be familiarized with the gameplay as it remains almost the same but there have been plenty of additions in the way of new moves, more badges, a longer adventure, and a thicker plot. Newcomers will find that the game is very simple to pick up and play. The vivid look of the game is rather deceiving of the engaging game underneath.
TTYD remains almost identical to its predecessor. Mario is once again on a mission to save Princess Peach as well as solve problems for others on his quest. Mario travels through many towns, dungeons, forests, and a variety of other locales while gaining new powers and partners to aid him in his mission. Every area is really well designed. And due to the new moves, the puzzles are better than they were in Mario's previous outing. The battles are the main course of this title, returning with similar format but with deeper gameplay.
The biggest gameplay element is the timed actions during battles which require the player to manipulate the analog stick or buttons to pull off a move superbly (which means: good timing). Do it superbly to use the move to full effect. If your timing is off, the move will lose some of its effect. It's a rather simple concept but it makes the battles more energetic. Furthering the uniqueness of Paper Mario, the badge system and partners are more essential to gameplay. Badges alter the characters' stats and partners help Mario to reach new areas or overcome certain situations during his travels or battles. These systems of gameplay are executed in the same as they were in the previous game but with the new additions; everything feels new yet recognizable.
While much improved from the first, the second Paper Mario has some lingering problems. One of the biggest is the pace of the game- the battles are fast and fun but everything else moves a little slow. Normally, the pace would not be a problem but there are some parts that require a lot of traveling and it becomes somewhat irritating due to the Mario's sluggish speed. The game is a bit harder this time but still feels somewhat easy, except for the final boss who is ridiculously tuff.
For an RPG, TTYD is a fairly good length averaging in about 30 hours for the main adventure. The length actually seems right because by the time you near the final moments of the game, it begins to lose its initial appeal. There are plenty of side-quests and secrets which will add a bit of replay if you enjoyed the game.
The graphics were sharp in Paper Mario but TTYD's graphics are even sharper, especially with progressive scan. The pop-up book style is better realized with the power of the GameCube. Great looking characters and levels fill the game with an exceptional style. There is some fairly bad slowdown at times and it is apparent. But outside of that, the game is very easy on the eyes.
Sound quality does not seem to be an issue because everything is clear and on sync. The music is all fine and fitting for a Mairo game. The problem is that this game needs voice acting, if not for the characters, then at least for a narrator. Narration could have done so much for the pop-up book theme of the game.
Even though the visuals give the game an appearance for younger players, the story is very… grown-up. It's hard to explain. There are plenty of ridiculous and asinine bits throughout the game and in no way seem serious. But there are also many subtleties which feebler minded people and younger players (luckily) will not understand. In general though, the text heavy story, with its quirky characters and amusing wit, is a pleasant surprise.
In summary, Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door continues in the footsteps of the first but brings in so many new features that any familiarity is met with fresh ingredients. The few problems should not discourage anyone from trying this game. With so many distinctive characteristics, Intelligent Systems delivers the goods yet again.
Final words: A great game for Mario and RPG fans alike.
-Vinny
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